Rotary printer with removable printing die

ABSTRACT

A printing device having an ink roll means that is adapted to supply ink to the operative surfaces of a cylindrical printing die that is axially adjustably supported on a shaft carried by a frame. The die is constructed and arranged so as to be capable of being conveniently radially assembled onto and disassembled from said shaft without the need for removing the shaft from its support frame.

14 1 Nov. 25, 1975 3,000,301 9/1961 Barthelm... 101/375 ROTARY PRINTER WITH REMOVABLE 3,045,594 Buttner.....................

PRINTING DIE Wayne Ritchie Fairfield Conn Primary Examiner-.1. Reed Fisher Pitney-Bowes, lnc., Stamford, Conn, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William D. Soltow, Jr.;

Albert W. Scribner; Martin D. Wittstein 4 7 9 l 9 I L w S mn: ".Wbd W88 H .mAF lll. 532 772 [ll ABSTRACT 211 Appl.N0.:507,535

A printing device having an ink roll means that is adapted to supply ink t 101/329; 101/375 B41F 13/20; B41F 5/00 cylindrical printing die that is axiall Field of Search ported on a shaft carried b 101/328, 329 structed and arranged so as to be conveniently radially assembled onto [52 U.S. CL... [5| 1m. l0l/375,376,216,219,

References Cited bled from said shaft without the need for removing the UNITED STATES PATENTS shaft from its support frame. 10/1950 101/375 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures Morse Sheet 1 of2 3,921,524

U.S. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,921,524

ms. 3 V

ROTARY PRINTER WITH REMOVABLE PRINTING DIE This invention relates to a novel printing device, and more particularly relates to an improved printing die construction and arrangement whereby replacement of the die may be carried out in an easy and quick manner.

Conventional attachment type printing devices that are adapted to be used in conjunction with sheet handling apparatus require considerable disassembly and assembly of the parts thereof in order to replace the printing die. This replacement operation heretofore has constituted a somewhat tedious and messy procedure necessitating considerable time-consuming manipulation of several of the printer parts. The present invention contemplates the provision of a printer arrangement that avoids most of the undesirable steps normally associated with the replacement of a shaft supported printing die.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement for an attachment type printer whereby the cylindrical printing die thereof may be replaced without having to disturb the shaft mounting means for said die.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure progresses.

In the drawings;

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the instant apparatus as viewed from the left side of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the printing die portion of the instant apparatus.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a generally U-shaped printer frame having two substantially parallel side portions 11 and 12 and an integral intermediate portion 13 that interconnects said side portions. A poroused ink supply roll 14 is carried by a shaft 15 having ends which normally extend through the vertical portions of opposed slots or apertures 16, FIG. 1, formed in said frame side portions II and I2. Shaft 15 is provided with an inner pair of axially adjustable collars 17 and 170 which may be secured by suitable set screws to the shaft 15 and which afford a convenient means for adjustably fixing the axial position of the roll 14 on shaft 15. Also disposed on shaft 15 is an outer pair of axially adjustable collars I8 and lSa that are adapted to adjustably retain shaft 15 in selected axial fixed position on said frame 10. The peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical roll 14 are adapted to move in rolling contact with the peripheral surfaces of a cylindrical porous ink transfer roller 20 that is carried by a shaft 21. The outer ends of shaft 21 extend through slots formed in the frame side portions 11 and 12 and are rotatably and vertically swingably mounted by any suitable means such as pivot arm means 210, FIG. I, that are pivotally carried by suitably pivot pins 21!), FIG. 1, fixed to said frame side portions 11 and 12. Axi ally adjustable collars 22 and 23 are provided on shaft 21 so as to make possible the locating and retaining of roller 20 in a desired axial position on shaft 21.

The peripheral surfaces ofthe cylindrical ink transfer roller 20 are adapted to roll against the cylindrical printing surfaces of a printing die means that is supported on a shaft 3] having outer ends that are rotatably mounted by any suitable means in said frame side portions ll, 12. A pair of axially adjustable clamping collars 33 and 32 are provided on shaft 3] so as to axially retain said shaft on said frame. The shaft 31 also carries a friction drive roll 35 which is axially adjustably fixed thereto by any suitable means and which is provided with a rubber-like peripheral outer surface that is adapted to frictionally engage a similar peripheral surface of a drive roll 36 that is axially adjustably secured to shaft 21 in a position between said collar 23 and said ink transfer roller 20. The effective diameters of the friction drive wheels 36 and 35 are substantially equal to the effective diameters of the roller 20 and die means 30.

The construction and arrangement for die means 30 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3 and includes a cylindrical die 40 that has an outer curved plate 41 secured thereto which is formed with raised type elements 42 corresponding to the desired characters to be printed. The die 40 is provided with a central aperture 43 that is axially formed therethrough and with a radially disposed slot 44 formed therein that extends substantially radially through the Wall of and throughout the full length of die 40 and communicates with said aperture 43; the effective width 45 of slot 44 being just slightly larger than the effective diameter of said shaft 31. The diameter of said aperture 43 is a little greater than the said width 45 of slot 44. Two axially adjustable clamping collars 46 and 47 are mounted on shaft 31. the inward face of each collar having an axially extending projection 48. made up of a central circular portion 48b and a radially extending portion 480. that has a composite nesting cross sectional shape corresponding to that for said slot and aperture.

As will be apparent when die 40 is to be mounted on shaft 31 the former is radially assembled onto shaft 3] with the shaft 31 passing through said aperture 43. The clamping collars 46, 47 are then moved axially toward each other whereby said projections 48 move into and nest in the respective ends of said slot 44 and aperture 43. The set screws 50 associated with each collar may then be tightened so that the die 40 and collars 46, 47 thereby become fixed to shaft 31 in the assembled condition illustrated in FIG. 2. To replace die 40 the set screws 50 are loosened and the collars 46, 47 axially moved apart so that the die 40 may then be radially slipped off of shaft 3] and a different printing die assembled thereon as above described. The die 40 may be axially adjusted to any desired position along the longitudinal central portion of shaft 31 as indicated by arrow 51 of FIG. 2.

A frictional driving roller 52 carried by the machine with which the instant printer is to be used is adapted, when the printer is operatively mounted on said machine, to yieldably and cyclically drive said ink transfer roller 20 and die means 30 through said friction wheels 35 and 36; all of said wheels 35, 36 and 52 being capable of being radially aligned with each other for any particular desired position of said rolls l4 and 20 and die means 30. The phantom lines 140, 20a and 30a indicate the general limits of axial adjustablility of rolls l4 and 20, and die means 30, respectively. It will be noted that the outer ends of the shaft [5 do not engage the bottoms of the vertical portions of the frame slots 16, FIG. 1, because the weight ofink supply roll 14 and shaft 15 causes the periphery of roll 14 to ride against the periphery of roller 20 and the periphery of roller 20 to ride against the die means 30 thereby holding the ends of said shaft above said slot bottoms as is illustrated in FIG. 1.

The above described construction and arrangement for the die means in the instant printer has been found to be most efficient in that it affords (a) easy and quick die replacement. (b) flexibility in the location of the die along the shaft 31, and (c) allows for convenient replacement of die without the necessity of removing or disturbing the mounted position of shaft 31 in said frame 10.

What is claimed is:

l. A printing unit: comprising a frame;

inking means carried by said frame;

a shaft mounted on the said frame;

a printing die mounted on said shaft and adapted to receive ink from said inking means;

said printing die being generally cylindrical in shape and having an aperture formed substantially axially therethrough; said die also being formed with a substantially radially disposed slot which extends through the wall of and throughout the length of said die and communicates with said axially disposed aperture; and

mounting means for mounting said printing die on said shaft including means engageable with said printing die and adapted to secure said die substantially coaxially on and with respect to said shaft; the said slot in said die having an effective width such as to allow said shaft to move radially therethrough whereby said die may be mounted on said shaft without having to remove said shaft from its supported position on said frame; said mounting means including first and second die supporting collars mounted on said shaft, each of said collars having means for securing the collar on said shaft in various selectable axial positions along said shaft; said collars having mutually facing projections which are shaped so as to be received in nesting and driving relation with respect to the ends of said aperture and slot in said printing die. 

1. A printing unit: comprising a frame; inking means carried by said frame; a shaft mounted on the said frame; a printing die mounted on said shaft and adapted to receive ink from said inking means; said printing die being generally cylindrical in shape and having an aperture formed substantially axially therethrough; said die also being formed with a substantially radially disposed slot which extends through the wall of and throughout the length of said die and communicates with said axially disposed aperture; and mounting means for mounting said printing die on said shaft including means engageable with said printing die and adapted to secure said die substantially coaxially on and with respect to said shaft; the said slot in said die having an effective width such as to allow said shaft to move radially therethrough whereby said die may be mounted on said shaft without having to remove said shaft from its supported position on said frame; said mounting means including first and second die supporting collars mounted on said shaft, each of said collars having means for securing the collar on said shaft in various selectable axial positions along said shaft; said collars having mutually facing projections which are shaped so as to be received in nesting and driving relation with respect to the ends of said aperture and slot in said printing die. 